1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to an outboard motor with throttle control and gear selector mechanisms in the tiller handle and, more particularly, to an outboard motor that is capable of disconnecting the gear selector mechanism from the throttle mechanism by manually selection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outboard motors have had tiller handles with throttle control mechanisms for many years. Typically, a hand grip of the tiller handle is movable, or rotatable, by manual control to change the throttle position of the engine of the outboard motor. Certain outboard motors also provide the operator with the capability of changing gears, from forward to reverse and vice versa, by moving the same handle grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,342, which issued to Boda et al on Aug. 23, 1994, discloses a universal tiller handle with shift and throttle controls. The tiller handle is provided for use with one or more push-pull cables interconnected to the shift and the throttle mechanisms of an outboard marine engine to control the shift and the throttle operations of the engine. The tiller handle includes a rotatable cam member with one or more cam tracks located on its outer surface. Each push-pull cable is maintained within a distinct cam track such that rotating the rotatable cam member actuates the push-pull cables thereby controlling the operation of the shift and the throttle mechanisms of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,846, which issued to DeSalvo et al on May 16, 1989, describes a marine propulsion device with a releasable shift handle. The device comprises a mounting bracket adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat, a propulsion unit mounted on the mounting bracket for pivotable movement relative thereto about a generally vertical steering axis, a propeller unit including a pivotally mounted propeller and an engine drivingly connected to the propeller by a transmission, and a shift handle assembly including an inner member mounted on the propulsion unit for movement relative thereto, the inner member being connected to the transmission for actuation of the transmission in response to movement of the inner member, an outer member movable between spaced first and second positions relative to the inner member, and a bolt for securing the outer member in the first position so as to cause movement of the inner member in response to movement of the outer member, and for selectively permitting movement of the outer member to the second position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,356, which issued to Stephenson on Apr. 6, 1982, describes a marine transmission control with vibration isolation system. The marine propulsion device comprises a marine propulsion unit including an engine and a rotatably mounted propeller, together with a transmission operatively connected with the engine and the propeller for operation between a neutral position and a drive position. The shift control mechanism further includes an isolation assembly for transmitting the operative forces from the control handle to the transmission while isolating the transmission of vibratory forces from the transmission to the control handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,353, which issued to Floeter on Jul. 22, 1980, discloses a control unit for marine engines employing throttle only control. The control unit for an engine of the type requiring shifting control between forward, neutral and reverse and throttle control for engine speeds between idle and high speed includes a housing having a control handle rotatably supported by the housing. Shift and throttle linkage means within the housing are connected to the engine and are responsive to rotation of the handle for separate control of the shift and throttle of the engine during respective portions of the arc of rotation of the handle. A throttle only shaft extends from the housing and is connected to the handle. A latch means is connected to the throttle only shaft to engage and disengage the shift linkage while permitting operation of only the throttle function responsive to rotation of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,360, which issued to Hoff on Mar. 31, 1970, describes an outboard motor clutch and interlock mechanism. In an outboard motor, a self contained clutch assembly of the readily releasable coil spring type is mounted immediately below the motor head, as a coupling between the power shaft and the drive shaft. The clutch is biased to the engaged condition and is released by a shift handle operable from front or rear which moves a stop to obstruct rotation of the leading end of the clutch spring. A blocker actuated by the throttle prevents clutch actuation above a selected motor speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,688 which issued to Kincannon on Aug. 25, 1964, describes a shift control by manipulation of a tiller handle. The tiller is pivoted to the motor for swinging movement in a vertical plane relative to a normal steering position to control the reversing clutch. When the tiller is raised from its normal steering position, the reversing clutch is in neutral. As the tiller is moved downwardly into normal steering position, the reversing clutch is engaged. A button in the end of the tiller is used to determine whether the engagement will be for forward or for rearward propulsion. The linkage operable by the tiller and the control button to actuate the clutch does not preclude the use of a tiller equipped with throttle control if desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,186, which issued to Kloss on Jan. 3, 1956, describes a control mechanism for outboard marine motors. The device provides a control means for outboard motor power transmission mechanisms in which the propeller of the motor may be placed in neutral, forward, or reverse drive conditions. With this arrangement, when it is desired to shift from a drive condition to a neutral position, the operator can use a shift control element providing a tiller handle for the motor, whereby direction of travel, speed of the motor, and forward, neutral, and reverse drive conditions, are all subject to instant control of the operator.
The patents described above are hereby explicitly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
While the mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,342 and subsequent variations of that concept provide a significant benefit for the operator of an outboard motor, certain disadvantages can be experienced under particular conditions. For example, on occasion it is desirable to increase the operating speed of the engine without shifting out of the neutral gear position into either forward or reverse gear. For example, this can occur when the engine is initially started under certain conditions and when it is desirable to increase the operating speed of the engine during a warm up period. Outboard motors with both gear selection capability and throttle selection capability contained in the tiller handle, as presently known to those skilled in the art, do not allow the engine speed to be increased beyond a certain minimal magnitude without also shifting the transmission out of the neutral gear position to either forward or reverse gear. It would therefore be highly desirable if an outboard motor with both gear selection and throttle selection capability contained within the tiller handle could be made in such a way that the engine speed could be affected without having to shift the transmission out of neutral.